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Ex-President Donald Trump has consistently shown his desire to see critics probed, applying influence on the DOJ to charge former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our standing and trustworthiness," the president wrote last month in a social media message.

"They impeached me, and indicted me (5 times!)" he declared, mentioning the four criminal cases he encountered after leaving the White House in 2021 and James's civil case.

Each have since been indicted, in cases that numerous specialists have said seem to be driven by politics and difficult to win in legal proceedings.

But the latest charges against a presidential opponent, ex national security adviser John Bolton, differ significantly, legal experts and ex-prosecutors assert.

"I would say, comparing Bolton's case to Comey's is like comparing two different things," stated Mark Lesko, a ex acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

This Details of the Legal Situation

Bolton has been criminally indicted on national allegations pertaining to the supposed improper handling of classified information. After leaving the White House in 2019, he has become a vocal presidential opponent, even to describe him "remarkably ignorant" and unsuitable for office in his memoir.

Specialists contend that while there may be political motivations to go after Bolton, the procedures used to secure an charge and the evidence gathered against him indicate a potentially stronger legal argument than the DOJ brought against Comey.

"These actions that's being alleged is simultaneously more serious and seems to have occurred over a considerable period of time," said Carissa Byrne Hessick, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Throughout his tenure as Trump's security advisor, and following his 2019 White House departure, authorities alleged that Bolton placed the nation at danger by wrongfully keeping and transmitting sensitive documents to relatives using unprotected methods, including AOL. Some of the materials were labeled top secret.

The indictment states that at a certain time a hacker accessed to Bolton's system where files were kept and transmitted an seeming warning to cause "the largest scandal since Hillary [Clinton]'s emails were leaked".

Bolton pleaded not guilty during a hearing on recently to eighteen separate charges of improperly handling sensitive materials.

Political Motivation or a Strong Case?

The timing of his indictment - arriving on the heels of charges against Comey - has revived concerns about external influence on the legal system.

Trump previously implied Bolton should be in prison, and described him a "sleazebag". Bolton, for his part, wrote a publication about his experience in the Trump government that was highly critical of the leader.

"There's no question that the timing of this charge, when paired with additional cases, has raised doubts about the validity of these allegations, and the reason these counts are being brought at this time," stated Jamil Jaffer, creator and executive director of the National Security Institute.

However, he added, "if the DOJ is capable to prove the allegations alleged and show the information is properly designated, his behavior may certainly have violated the statute".

Prosecuting such a high-ranking figure for mishandling sensitive materials is "uncommon" but not without precedent, noted Carrie Cordero, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Cases that involve sensitive materials pose difficulties to try, but they can and are filed against both low-level and senior personnel, from occasionally," she said.

Parallels to Investigations into Former President and President

Trump likewise encountered charges of wrongfully keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and hindering their recovery, but that case was eventually dismissed by a court official and voided by his re-election as president.

A special counsel additionally found that ex-President Joe Biden wrongfully stored classified documents from his time as second-in-command, but failed to prosecute him.

Bolton's situation bears similarities to Biden's classified documents matters, noted Mr Lesko, who also held a senior national security role at the DOJ.

Rigorous protocols govern the management of sensitive materials. To secure a conviction, the government must demonstrate that Bolton was aware the information he was transmitting was restricted, and he had to intentionally transmit it to someone not entitled to receive it.

"Because of the sensitive character of the information at question in this matter, we don't have a great deal of details about the reasons the prosecution believes elements like the personal notes and the other information he shared by electronic message, and why there were restricted," explained Mr Jaffer.

A More Conventional Prosecution

The procedure by which the Justice Department initiated this legal action will be under scrutiny, following Trump openly expressed his desire to see his critics charged and several of those indictments came to fruition.

But Mr Lesko said in Bolton's case, authorities seem to have adhered to standard procedure.

"This Bolton prosecution and ultimately the indictment appeared to have observed the regular procedure including the regulations and norms within the DOJ," he stated.

Unlike Comey's short, two-page indictment, Bolton's was a more "traditional" document that "clearly outlines the details involving the circumstances and circumstances here," Mr Lesko said.

"It appears fairly aligned with a long line of cases... where government officials improperly handled and transmitted sensitive information."